Oklahoma is one of the 10 states selected to participate in New Skills for Youth (NSFY), an initiative enhancing state efforts to increase the number of kids across the country who are prepared for success in both college and career. NSFY is a $75 million, five-year initiative developed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in collaboration with the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and Education Strategy Group.
In Phase One of the initiative, the Oklahoma NSFY team built upon the governor’s Oklahoma Works campaign to identify regional labor market priorities and develop a plan to align program offerings across the state. Through NSFY, Oklahoma aims to ensure that all students have the opportunity and support to successfully secure a postsecondary degree and/or industry certification that reflects their individual passions and skills.
Phase Two of the NSFY initiative began in January 2017. This snapshot profiles Oklahoma’s progress in the first year of Phase Two, including:
- Aligning career pathways with high-demand industries in each region: Using regional labor market data, the Oklahoma NSFY team assessed existing career pathways in the state to ensure that they are aligned with regional workforce needs as well as meet local community demands.
- Implementing Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAP): The state is moving toward a holistic, student-centered approach to career development and postsecondary goal-setting after the Oklahoma Legislature passed ICAP into law.
- Expanding teacher externships: Oklahoma is working to develop its teaching workforce by expanding externship offerings and giving teachers the opportunity to work on site with experts in their field of instruction.
- Enhancing the state accountability system: Oklahoma revised its state accountability system and adopted a postsecondary opportunities measure that values students who participate in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and dual credit coursework and pursue work-based learning and industry-recognized credentials.
To learn more about this work, read Oklahoma’s NSFY Phase One Snapshot.
